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The Best and Worst of All My Children 2013:
We've come to the end of another year, and once again we're saying goodbye to All My Children. This week we take one last look back at the things t... Read the column now...

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At the hospital, David asked a nurse to page Dr. Anders to take a look at Oliver, who David believed had suffered a seizure. David told Oliver that the doctors would need to run a few tests, and Oliver whimpered that he was scared. David promised to stay by Oliver's side, and he asked if Oliver liked superheroes. Oliver nodded, and David urged Oliver to pretend that he was a superhero. Leticia glowered as she watched David and Oliver pretend to be superheroes together.

Dixie sat on a bench in the town square, and Dr. Anders commented that it was late for her to be there alone. She replied that she could take care of herself, but she quickly apologized and conceded that she could use the company. He sat down next to her, and she gazed up at the sky and asked if he had ever wished on stars. He said that he hadn't, and she revealed that she and Tad had. She wished that Tad were there to help her with JR.

Dr. Anders realized that Dixie missed Tad, and he empathized that there were times when missing someone was particularly difficult. Dixie thought that the doctor was speaking from experience, but he claimed that he had only done research about it. She asked about the picture of the woman on his phone, but he was summoned to the hospital. Dixie offered to go with Dr. Anders so she could check on Cassandra, and she repeated her offer to listen if he wanted to talk. He thanked Dixie, and they left.

Cara raced into the hospital, but she stopped short when she saw David holding Oliver's hand. Leticia hurriedly pulled Cara aside, and David told Oliver that everything would be all right. David turned to Dr. Anders for confirmation, but the doctor wouldn't make any promises. David offered to get Oliver some ice cream when Oliver was done with the examination, and Oliver requested that David stay with him. David swore that he wouldn't go anywhere.

Leticia dragged Cara into another room, and Cara demanded to know what David was doing with her son. Leticia warned that David couldn't see Cara, and she explained that David had saved Oliver after Oliver had experienced a seizure. Cara blamed herself for not being with Oliver, but Leticia said that David had made sure that Oliver was all right. Leticia reported that Oliver had clung to David, and Cara wondered if Oliver had sensed their connection. Cara panicked that David would figure it out, but Leticia stated that David was simply a doctor who was helping a child.

Cara recalled that her own father hadn't been there for her, and she contemplated whether Oliver needed his dad. Leticia insisted that Cara had been better off without her father, and Oliver was better off without David. Leticia added that Cara had done everything to keep Oliver safe, and she implored Cara not to stop, or David would get suspicious. Leticia warned that Cara could lose Oliver for good, and Cara vowed that there was no way that would ever happen.

After Dr. Anders examined Oliver, David told Oliver that he had done great, and Oliver asked for ice cream. David said that it would be just a little longer. "I'm very proud of you, son," he said, while Leticia watched disapprovingly.

Dixie ran into Cara, who claimed that she was there to visit Mackenzie, but Cara kept a close eye on Oliver's room. Dixie recognized Oliver as the grandson of the Chandler chef, and she suggested that Cara check on him. Cara stated that the boy's grandmother was with him, and Dixie noted that David was in the room, too. Dixie assured Cara that despite David's faults, he was a great doctor who was wonderful with kids, and he'd treat Oliver like his own. Cara tried to cover her discomfort.

Dr. Anders ruled out epilepsy, and David struggled to remember Leticia's name. Leticia said that he could call her "Abuela," and David remarked that her grandson's parents would be proud. Dr. Anders suggested that a peanut allergy could have caused the seizure, and David mentioned that Oliver had consumed some candy. Dr. Anders offered to schedule additional tests the next day, and he advised Leticia to carry an EpiPen. Leticia didn't understand what he meant, and David explained what the device was in Spanish.

Cara sneaked into Oliver's room and closed the shade, and she tearfully said that she was sorry that she hadn't been there during his big scare. She called him the bravest boy in the world, and she asked if David had treated him well. Oliver nodded emphatically, and Cara said that she couldn't stay, but she'd be back. She told Oliver to remember that she loved him more than anything in the world, and she kissed him and asked him to be strong for her. Cara exited, and she spied David returning to Oliver's room.

After the gala had ended, Colby swigged champagne, and she asked JR how his talk with Adam had gone. JR grumbled that it had been the same thing as always, but Colby pointed out that at least Adam had acknowledged JR, whereas Adam hadn't even said hello to her. JR said that she'd missed out on being ripped to shreds, but Colby whined that she had once been Adam's favorite child. JR assured Colby that she hadn't done anything wrong, but rather, Adam was simply a "heartless bastard." Colby ranted that a woman's relationship with her father set patterns for the rest of her life, and she stormed off.

Dimitri informed Brooke that he'd talked the Morrisons into sticking with their investment in Chandler, and Brooke wondered what she would do without Dimitri. A woman presented Brooke with an item that Brooke had won in the silent auction, but a surprised Brooke said that she hadn't bid. Brooke opened the jewelry box and saw the necklace she'd admired earlier, and she assumed that Adam had purchased it. She gushed that it was the only item she'd really wanted, and she declared that she couldn't help but love a man who knew her that well.

Brooke gazed at the necklace, and Dimitri asked her to join him for a nightcap. She said that she had to be at the office first thing in the morning, and she needed to go to bed. She received a text message from Adam, who mentioned that he hadn't bid on the necklace. Brooke realized that Dimitri had made the purchase, and she asked why he hadn't taken credit for it. He replied that it didn't matter, as long as she had the trinket.

Dimitri picked up the necklace and helped Brooke to put it on. He called it perfect, and he began to lean in to kiss her. JR spotted them, but Brooke pulled back and declared that she loved Adam. Dimitri apologized, and she suggested that they forget it had ever happened.

JR appeared in AJ's doorway to say goodnight, and AJ barked that JR had had "no excuse to act like a complete ass in front of everyone." JR said that he hadn't meant to embarrass AJ, but AJ replied that he wasn't angry -- JR was. AJ explained that when JR had flipped out, AJ had remembered being a little kid who had been scared of JR all the time. JR insisted that things were different as he threw his jacket down, and a syringe spilled out of the pocket.

AJ surmised that JR's outburst at the party had been a result of "roid rage," and he confronted JR about not only using steroids, but also stealing the drugs and lying about it. AJ dared JR to deny it, and he called JR a hypocrite. JR admitted that all of it was true, and AJ labeled JR a liar and an addict. AJ ranted that it was no wonder Adam had disowned JR, because JR would never change. JR defended that he had tried to change, but no one had let him.

AJ ordered JR to leave, but JR asserted that he'd been unconscious for five years and that he wasn't the same person he once had been. JR argued that he'd been trying repeatedly to reach out, but AJ snapped that it was too late. JR contended that he couldn't turn back the clock, but he could try to be a better person and father, and AJ retorted that JR had been too busy shooting up. JR admitted that he wasn't proud of his steroid use, but he had felt like everyone could only see the "old JR," and he had wanted a chance to prove himself. JR said that he didn't expect automatic forgiveness, but he didn't want people to assume that he was the same person he had been.

JR questioned whether he deserved to be cut off forever, and AJ huffed that Kyle wouldn't cut JR off. JR countered that the only reason he'd taken steroids was to speed up his recovery, so people would look at him differently. JR asserted that Brooke had been using JR's weakness as an excuse to keep him out of the company, and AJ remarked that after what JR had pulled that night, JR would never be allowed near Chandler again. JR contended that he'd worked hard on the reel, but someone had messed with his file. JR raged that Brooke had been threatened when JR had awakened from the coma, and she'd found a way to neutralize JR.

AJ called JR paranoid, but JR argued that Brooke had been set to swoop in with her own backup presentation. AJ coldly maintained that JR was out for good this time, and JR asked that AJ keep JR's drug use between them. JR swore that he'd stop using, and he begged AJ not to give up on him. AJ said that he wasn't buying it anymore, and unlike JR, AJ didn't need his father's acceptance to validate his existence. AJ yelled that all JR ever did was disappoint him, and he demanded that JR take his drugs and his lies and that he get out of AJ's life.

In Celia's room at Bramwell, Heather couldn't believe that Colby had dumped cake on Celia, but Celia was certain that she'd proven that Colby's silly mind games wouldn't work on Celia. Heather wondered who had put up the money for Celia's date with Pete, but Celia still had no idea. Celia said that Pete had offered to match the bid, and Heather urged Celia to give him another chance. Celia admitted that she was psyched about the date, but she hoped that it wouldn't be a mistake.

Celia asked what was up with Heather and AJ, and Heather rambled that it had been amazing to walk the red carpet together. Heather added that she had kissed AJ on the dance floor, and it had been perfect. Heather revealed that she hadn't been sure if AJ was into her, but she was positive that they were meant to be. Celia inquired whether Miranda was fine with AJ and Heather being together, and Heather insisted that Miranda was totally cool with it.

Celia slept, and she dreamed that the creepy man extended his hand and beckoned, "Come, darling." Celia took his hand, and the man's face morphed into that of a skeleton. Celia awakened in a panic.

During a musical montage, Celia looked up a phone number and placed a call. Dixie spotted Dr. Anders staring at the photo of the woman on his phone. Cara peered through Oliver's window as David and Oliver playfully flexed their muscles, pretending to be superheroes. Alone in bed, Colby cried as she clutched a stuffed animal. Brooke gazed at a photo of Adam and touched her necklace, while Dimitri watched her from afar. JR eyed some wine bottles, and he read the card on the flowers that Adam had sent to Brooke. JR snarled as he crumpled the card in his hand.

At home, Colby was upset about Adam ignoring her during the party. Colby declared that Brooke had turned Adam against his children, and Brooke would talk Adam into writing them out of his will.

JR wasn't listening to Colby as he ruminated to himself. Colby whipped JR around to face her and saw a cold look on his face. JR said he'd been "through hell," and he'd lost five years of his life. He refused to lose anything more -- especially to Brooke English.

Later, JR was alone when Brooke arrived to talk to him. JR found it awfully convenient that Adam had been there in time to ride to Brooke's rescue and that she'd had a backup presentation ready to go. Brooke stated that JR was wrong to think anything underhanded had been happening.

JR insisted that he'd been sabotaged. He revealed that he'd checked his presentation thirty minutes before show time, and it had been fine. Brooke felt he needed therapy if he thought she'd risk alienating the investors just to get rid of him. JR asserted that what he really needed was for Brooke to get out of his family's business.

Dimitri entered and advised JR to cool down. JR asked if Adam had any idea of how much time Brooke and Dimitri were spending together, both inside and outside of the office. Dimitri stated that JR could self-destruct all he wanted, but he wouldn't pull Dimitri and Brooke down with him. As he left, JR quipped that he didn't have to; the two were doing a fine job on their own.

Later, Brooke carried the box containing the diamond necklace into the living room and returned it to Dimitri. She couldn't accept a gift like that from him, and he guessed that it was because of Adam. Brooke agreed. She was committed to Adam, and accepting the gift went against what she and Adam shared.

Dimitri claimed that it hadn't been his intention to disrupt things. Brooke took responsibility, too, and stated that, while people worked together, it was easy for lines to get blurred. Dimitri stated that he'd been wrong to cross the line, and she thanked him for understanding.

Though Dimitri wished he could change the subject to something positive, he shared that he'd learned that Calloway and Larson were reconsidering their investments because of JR's meltdown. The investors had begun looking into Cortech. Brooke wondered why they'd go from media to technology stocks but guessed it was because Cortech didn't have someone like JR sabotaging it.

At the hospital, David arrived with a stuffed animal for Oliver, but Oliver pouted because he'd had a bad dream and wanted his mother. Outside the room, Cara had heard Oliver, and her instincts drew her toward her son. Joe grabbed her arm and deterred her from entering the room.

The two went into the break room, where Cara discussed her quandary about revealing the truth. Joe recalled that she'd been lying to protect Oliver and asked if the need for that had changed. Cara wasn't sure because she'd seen David being loving and fatherly to Oliver. Joe said that David was capable of love, but that was just one side of him.

The sobbing Cara stated that it had been a hard decision to lie about Oliver, and she'd once thought that she and David could have a family. David's protective instincts posed a problem, and she didn't want to expose her son to a man who'd put a gun to someone's head. Joe advised Cara to remind herself of the reasons for her decision before she took a step that couldn't be undone.

Later, Joe and Cara stood in the corridor with Carmen and David, discussing Oliver's seizure and newly developed allergy. David was surprised that Cara was there. Cara quickly explained that she'd met Carmen, JR's cook, while getting JR in shape for the workforce. David quipped that JR wouldn't be doing much work after what had happened at the gala the other night.

Joe pulled Cara away to discuss another case, and in the break room, he warned her to be careful about more than just Oliver. Joe showed her a steroids prescription that the pharmacy had deemed suspicious. Cara readily said it wasn't in her handwriting, and she always kept a tight rein on her pads. Joe figured as much and decided to flag the prescription in case the person tried to get a refill.

Later, JR arrived at the hospital to check on Oliver. Cara gave JR the brush-off, and he assumed she was upset about the kiss. Cara strode into the break room, and JR followed her. Cara admitted that she'd started to have feelings for him, but she'd noticed an abundance of anger emitting from him. He said he'd been under a lot of pressure, and she asked if that was all it could be.

Cara revealed that she'd also been under a lot of pressure. In addition to what had happened with Oliver, someone had stolen her prescription pad, which could put her entire career at risk. JR murmured that it was terrible, and Cara added that the person had forged her name for steroids.

Cara indicated that she'd figured it out while thinking of all the times she'd spent with JR, times when he could have reached into her bag. Cara was hurt that he'd do that to her, but the hurt melted into anger. As she turned to leave, she stated that he'd broken her trust.

JR followed Cara to talk about it more. Cara told him that he'd been doing fine without lying, cheating, or putting her career in jeopardy. JR claimed to understand that he needed help. She called him an addict and told him that she should be turning him in at that moment. Cara explained that she was culpable for what he'd done, and it could destroy her career.

JR was sure Cara wouldn't turn him in, and Cara asked what made him so certain. He said they still trusted each other. She asked how he knew that, and JR replied that he was still keeping her secret. He promised that she could trust him, and he'd never say a thing. "And neither will you," JR added.

At the café, Jane swooned over Pete's romantic plans for his bachelor date. At a table, Opal touched Pete's phone, which had Celia's picture on it, and more dark visions ran through Opal's mind. When Pete sat with Opal, she cautioned him not to invest in a girl who'd made it known that she was completely uninterested.

Pete didn't think Celia was completely uninterested. Instead, she'd won a ten thousand dollar date with him, and he planned to show her a good time. Opal asked him to be careful, but he said that it was better to have loved and lost. Rendering a forced smile, she hoped it worked out for Pete.

On a bench outside the café, Celia was discussing her visions with Dixie. Unbeknownst to the women, Colby listened beside a wall. Celia explained that the man would materialize out of nowhere and then disappear just as quickly. Celia declared that she was going crazy. Dixie assured Celia that her subconscious mind was merely trying to work out something. Dixie promised to help Celia with it.

Colby walked off as Celia was saying that she didn't want her guardian or Evelyn to know about Celia's therapy sessions, and Celia didn't have a lot of money. Dixie promised that the sessions would be confidential and that center donations would pay for them. Dixie was certain they'd figure things out.

Later, Celia arrived at her dorm, and Evelyn noted that Celia had been gone a long time. Celia claimed she'd been at the station, but Evelyn said she'd checked the station for Celia. Celia said she'd probably been running errands for Dimitri Marick. Evelyn looked skeptically at Celia, and Celia begged Evelyn not to make her quit the job. Evelyn replied that she wouldn't do that.

Celia took off to meet someone at the library. Evelyn made a call to someone to say that Celia had supposedly been at the station. "But you and I know that's not the truth," Evelyn concluded.

Inside the café, Jane was chatting with Opal about the smitten Pete. Colby entered, made an order with Jane, and plopped down in Jane's vacated seat at Opal's table. Opal took offense to Colby's presence, but Colby said it was no way to greet her. Opal asked what Colby wanted, and Colby replied that she and Opal would work together to make Pete and Celia's magical evening fall flat on its face.

Opal strode out of the café, but Colby followed Opal, insisting that Opal didn't want to see Pete with Celia any more than Colby did. Colby had seen the beady-eyed stares that Opal had given Celia, and Colby was sure Opal had noticed that something was off with Celia.

Opal admitted that she had been getting a bad feeling about Celia. Colby asked if Opal wanted to do something sneaky for a good cause. Opal asserted that Colby was barking up the wrong tree if she thought Pete would fall into her arms if Celia were out of the picture. "I don't bark, Opal...unless it's..." Colby naughtily quipped.

Opal rolled her eyes, and Colby pretended that her only motive was preventing Pete from being hung up on someone who could go all "Thelma and Louise" on him. Opal reluctantly admitted that she felt the same way and asked what Colby had in mind.

At Pete's house, David arrived. Elated about JR's meltdown at the gala, David announced that two of Chandler's potential investors were contemplating investing in Cortech instead of Chandler. David was delighted that JR's hopes of stepping into Adam's shoes were going up in smoke, and Pete stated that it seemed as if David had planned it that way.

New episodes of All My Children now air on Hulu, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. Each week's new episodes are made available on Mondays. We will be posting the first new episode of the week as a Monday recap, and the second one as Tuesday.

For additional viewing options and to learn how to watch episodes, please click here.

New episodes of All My Children now air on Hulu, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. Each week's new episodes are made available on Mondays. We will be posting the first new episode of the week as a Monday recap, and the second one as Tuesday.

For additional viewing options and to learn how to watch episodes, please click here.

New episodes of All My Children now air on Hulu, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. Each week's new episodes are made available on Mondays. We will be posting the first new episode of the week as a Monday recap, and the second one as Tuesday.

For additional viewing options and to learn how to watch episodes, please click here.